How to Draw Television — Free Practice Sheets

Drawing a television is a useful exercise in combining rectangles, rounded corners and small circular controls into one clear object. The goal is not a pixel-perfect copy but a recognisable set of features with sensible proportions. This guide explains how to build the TV body, place the screen and side panel, add knobs and lines, then finish with antennas and feet. Use it alongside the practice sheets, and compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet rather than treating any single line as the only correct answer.

Build the body and screen first

Start with the largest shape: a wide rounded rectangle for the television body. Keep the corners gently curved rather than sharp, because the outer casing should read as a solid box with softened edges. Decide how wide and tall the body will be before adding anything inside it.

Next, draw a smaller rounded rectangle inside the body for the screen. Leave a clear strip on the right side for the control panel. The screen should sit within the body with an even border on the top, bottom and left, while the right border is wider to make room for controls. Check that the screen is not so large that it touches the outer edge, and not so small that the body looks empty.

1. Draw a large rounded rectangle for the TV body.
2. Draw a smaller rounded rectangle inside for the screen, leaving a right-side panel.
3. Check that the screen border is even on the top, bottom and left.

Add controls, antennas and feet

On the right-side panel, add two circles for knobs and a few horizontal lines for controls or vents. Keep the circles similar in size and place them in a vertical arrangement so the panel looks deliberate. The horizontal lines can sit between or below the knobs, but they should stay inside the panel rather than crossing onto the screen.

Finish the silhouette with two diagonal lines on top for antennas and two small feet at the bottom. The antennas should rise from the top edge, angled outward, and the feet should sit under the body with a small gap between them. These details identify the object as a television, so place them where they are clearly visible.

1. Add two circles and horizontal lines on the right panel for controls.
2. Draw two diagonal lines on top for antennas and two small feet at the bottom.
3. Compare your drawing with the separate full reference sheet.

Using the practice sheet variants

The trace sheet asks you to follow the reference outline first, then practise the contour independently. The grid sheet asks you to copy the reference onto the blank grid using matching grid intersections, which helps you judge where each corner and control sits. The bounding-frame sheet gives you a centre guide to place the silhouette before adding details, and the partial sheet asks you to complete the blank right-hand portion using the full reference.

Each variant trains a different judgement: contour control, position on a grid, overall placement, and completing a missing section. In every case, compare with the separate full reference sheet and assess the visible features and proportions rather than expecting an exact match.

1. Trace the outline, then redraw it without tracing.
2. Use grid intersections to place corners and controls.
3. Complete the blank portion, then check the full reference.

What to check before you finish

Look at the drawing as a whole. The body should be rectangular with rounded corners, the screen should be a smaller rounded rectangle inside it, and the right panel should hold the knobs and lines without crowding the screen. The antennas and feet should attach to the body rather than float away from it.

Because drawings can vary, judge the result by whether the identifying features are present and the proportions look balanced. A slightly different knob size or antenna angle can still be correct.

1. Check the outer body and screen are both rounded rectangles.
2. Check the right panel holds the knobs and lines.
3. Check the antennas and feet connect to the body.

Check your work

• Outer body is a rectangle with rounded corners.
• Screen is a smaller rounded rectangle inside the body with a visible border.
• Right-side panel contains two circular knobs and horizontal lines.
• Two diagonal antennas rise from the top edge.
• Two small feet sit under the bottom edge.
• Proportions look balanced between body, screen and panel.

Worked example

television: Trace the reference outline, then practise the contour independently. Compare with the separate full reference sheet.

Common mistakes

• Making the screen touch or cross the outer body edge. Leave a visible border on the top, bottom and left, and a wider strip on the right for controls.
• Placing knobs and lines across the screen instead of the side panel. Keep all controls inside the right-side panel and check they do not overlap the screen outline.
• Drawing antennas or feet detached from the body. Start each antenna on the top edge and each foot on the bottom edge so they connect to the casing.

Questions and answers